Display device

ABSTRACT

A DISPLAY DEVICE FOR COINS, MEDALS, OR THE LIKE IS PROVIDED, COMPRISING A DISPLAY BOARD HAVING COIN OR THE LIKE RECEIVING OPENINGS TIGHTLY SANDWICHED BY MEANS OF A REMOVABLE SURROUNDING FRAME MEMBER BETWEEN TWO SHEETS OF TRANSPARENT MATERIAL. EDGES OF THE OPENINGS ARE SEALED TO INHIBIT CONTACT OF DISPLAYED OBJECTS WITH ANY TARNISH ACCELERATING CONTAMINANTS CONTAINED IN THE DISPLAY BOARD MATERIAL.

Jan. 12, 1.1971 v A H, p, SLY, 5R 3,554,625

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed Sept. 30, 1968 United Statesl Patent O 3,554,625DISPLAY DEVICE Harold P. Sly, Sr., Elmira, N.Y.; Reda W. Sly, executrixof said Harold I. Sly, Sr., deceased Filed Sept. 30, 1968, Ser. No.763,795 Int. Cl. A47b 81/00; A471 3/14 U.S. Cl. 312--234 1 ClaimABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display device for coins, medals, or thelike is provided, comprising a display board having coin or the likereceiving openings tightly sandwiched by means of a removablesurrounding frame member between two sheets of transparent material.Edges of the openings are sealed to inhibit contact of displayed objectswith any tarnish accelerating contaminants contained in the displayboard material.

This invention relates to display devices and in particular to displaydevices especially adapted for displaying coins, medals, or othersimilar articles.

It is known to display coins, medals, and the like in a variety of wayswhich permit a view of both sides of these objects while maintainingthem in an orderly fashion and free from finger marks. The U.S. patentto Curtiset al. 2,139,150 discloses a display board perforated with aplurality of openings sized to snugly receive a sandwich composed of twotransparent discs surrounding a coin or the like. Such a construction,typical of the prior art, has been the source of a number of problems.Each coin so displayed must be protected by means of two separatelyinstalled transparent discs, and such installation can become a tediousoperation. Repeated removal of such coins from the display board causesthe coin-and-discreceiving opening in the board to become enlarged,thereby permitting the coins to become disengaged from the boardupon-slight jarring.

Tarnishing of displayed coins has also been a problem. Though the priorare display boards provide protection from linger marks, other sourcesof tarnish have been overlooked. Beavenboard and chipboard,l often usedin the construction of such display boards contain quite measurablequantities of sulfur which will accelerate the rate of tarnishing of thedisplayed object, especially if it is of silver.

These and other problems have now been solved by providing a noveldisplay device comprising a display board sandwiched tightly between twosheets of transparent material, the composite being surrounded about itsperimeter by a snugly fitting but removable frame member. The displayboard is provided with one or more coin or the like receiving openingswhose inside edges have been sealed to inhibit access of tarnish-causingcontaminants to the coins. A plurality of such novel display devices canbe iitted like drawers into a storage chest to provide an orderly andattractive means for storing a large number of coin display devices.

Thus, there is provided an attractive display and storage device to holdcoins, medals or the like of various sizes and thicknesses which can beviewed on both sides without direct handling. With the edges of the coinreceiving openings sealed to prevent contact of the coin with any of thesulfur or other contaminant content of the display board, and with thedisplay device tightly fitted p ICC together to provide a seal againstthe atmosphere, tarnish is effectively prevented or retarded.

Further objects and features of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a display deviceembodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a view in cross-section taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a display device of this invention, and

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective of a chest slidably storing a pluralityof display devices of this invention.

FIG. 1 shows a display device having a display board 10 of a thicknessessentially equal to that of an object 18, such as a coin or medal, tobe displayed. One or more openings 12 are provided in board 10 to acceptthe objects 18, openings 12 being sized to snugly surround such objects.Transparent sheets 14, of glass or plastic, provide a protective coverfor both faces of board 10. A frame 16 surrounds the perimeters of board10 and sheets 14 forcing them into tight face-to-face contact. Agripping means such as a pull knob 20 is secured to frame 16.

FIG. 2 shows in more detail the construction of display devices. Displayboard 10 comprises a central sheet 11 of composition material such aschipboard, beaverboard, paperboard, or other material, which ispreferably laminated on each major face to a decorative surface sheet 22which may be of paper, fabric, foil, velour, or other material. Openings12 perforate both central sheet 11 and decorative surface sheets 22.Transparent sheets 14, which overlie both major faces of board 10, areforced into tight face-to-face contact with the display board 10 bymeans of a frame 16, grooved at 26 to receive the perimeters of theseveral sheets.

In order to inhibit the admission of tarnish-causing contaminants intoopenings 12 of display board 10, the edges 24 of such openings 12 arecoated with a sealer 25, such as a lacquer or other coating material.

FIG. 3 illustrates the structure which permits simple assembly anddisassembly of the display device to allow access to the display boardopenings and material displayed therein. The frame 16 which surroundsdisplay board 10 comprises a U-shaped member 28 having permanently fixedcorners 30, and a side member 32 removably secured at edges 34 toU-shaped member 28 by means of screws 36. Access to a displayed coin isgained by removing screws 36 and side member 32, then sliding displayboard 10 and transparent sheets 114 out of the groove 26 in U-shapedmember 28, and finally separating one or more of the transparent sheets14 from board 10.

A plurality of display devices 38 can conveniently be stored in anattractive chest 40 adapted to slidably receive them in much the samemanner as a drawer would be received, as illustrated in FIG. 4.

Many variations in the elements of this novel display device arepossible without departing from the scope of this invention. The numberand size of openings 12 is, of course, a matter of choice governed bythe number and size of the objects to be displayed. The composition oftransparent sheets 14 can be of any transparent material such as sheetplastic or glass. The composition of frame 16 can be of wood, plastic,metal, or of other similar materials. Other variations within the scopeof the invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. A display device comprising:

a display board having an opening therethrough of sufcient size tosnugly surround a metal object to be displayed, said display board beingformed of a material likely to contain metal-tarnishing contaminants;

a pair of transparent sheets overlaying both major faces of said displayboard;

a frame member tting snugly about the perimeters of said display boardand said transparent sheets and forcing said sheets into tightengagement with said major faces of said display board; and

said frame member being removably secured to said display board andtransparent sheets to permit access to said display board opening andany object therein displayed, the inner edges of said display boardopening being sealed to inhibit the admission of tarnish-causingcontaminants into said opening.

4 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1946 Eckert 312*119X 4/1902Peal 312-119 9/1948 Curtis 2060.83 12/ 1949 Williams 206-72X ll/1965Phelps 206-0.83 4/1966 White 206-0.83 3/ 1967 Vitale et al. 206-0.83X

FOREIGN PATENTS 3/1946 France 206-O.83

U.S. Cl. X.R.

